Draft: To Slot or not to Slot
In a report for SI.com, Jon Heyman explains how Scott Boras continues to impact the draft.
In his report, Heyman writes that the Mets remain ‘the one mega-market team to stubbornly adhere to MLB’s slotting system, to the point where it has cost them.’
However, in report for the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano writes:
“GM Omar Minaya indicated yesterday that they might be willing to cough up the cash if they find a player they like.”
Minaya, as quoted by Graziano, said:
“We look at this draft as a big opportunity. The way we’re approaching it, we’re going to take players we like and we think can help us, and then what it takes to sign them, we’ll talk about it.”
For more on the slotting system, and how the Mets should behave in the draft, check out Ted Berg’s recent column for SNY.tv.
…the sense i get from people connected to the team is that while the Mets may intend to adhere to the slotting system, if a player drops to them who is the best player available, but requires a larger bonus than his slot would dictate, the Mets will ignore their previous ways and go for the big pick instead…but, most of this depends on how the draft is shaking out in advance of their pick…i mean, it may turn out that they can adhere to the system, remain loyal to the commish, and still take the player they want, simply because of who teams picked before them…
…obviously, i hope they just ignore the ‘rules’ and pick whomever they want…and, from what i can tell, that’s exactly what they intend to do…
By the way, Frank Coonelly, who once worked for MLB and encouraged teams to stick to the slotting system, is now working for the Pirates. According to Heyman, citing ‘scuttlebutt,’ Cooley and the Pirates may disregard the slotting system and draft one of Boras’s top amateur clients.
